By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) – In an extraordinary reversal, the U.S. Navy has recommended reinstating the fired captain of the coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, whose crew hailed him as their hero for risking his job to safeguard their lives, officials said on Friday.
The Navy’s leadership made the recommendation to reinstate Captain Brett Crozier to Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday, just three weeks after Crozier was relieved of command after the leak of a letter he wrote calling on the Navy for stronger measures to protect the crew, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon issued a statement acknowledging Esper received the results of the Navy’s preliminary inquiry into the Roosevelt incident. But it added that Esper wanted to review a written copy of the completed inquiry.
Suggesting no decision was imminent, the statement said Esper then “intends to thoroughly review the report and will meet again with Navy leadership to discuss next steps.” The Navy said in a statement “no final decisions have been made.”
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, a Democrat, called for Crozier’s immediate reinstatement.
“During this time of crisis, Captain Crozier is exactly what our Sailors need: a leader who inspires confidence,” he said.
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Esper wanted to be sure that the final Navy report would stand up to public scrutiny before signing off and stressed that the Roosevelt outbreak inquiry went far beyond Crozier.
But Esper’s deliberations raised questions about whether political or other considerations might override the Navy’s recommendations in a case that has seen Democrats vocally critical of the Trump administration’s handling of the matter.
Sources say Crozier is one of the 856 sailors from the Roosevelt’s 4,800-member crew who have tested positive for the coronavirus, effectively taking one of the Navy’s most powerful ships out of operation.
Crozier was fired by the Navy’s top civilian, then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, against the recommendations of uniformed leaders, who suggested he wait for an investigation into the letter’s leak.
Modly’s decision backfired badly, as members of the crew hailed their captain as a hero in an emotional sendoff captured on video that went viral on social media.
Embarrassed, Modly then compounded his problems by flying out to the carrier to ridicule Crozier over the leak and question his character in a speech to the Roosevelt’s crew, which also leaked to the media. Modly then resigned.
News of the Navy’s recommendations could boost morale among sailors on the Roosevelt, who were caught between the Navy’s desire to keep the ship operational and its duty to shield them from unnecessary risk in peacetime.
“When you are in the military you sign away a lot of your choices and your (ability) to share your opinions about some things,” one sailor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters.
“It is nice to see that us standing together for this (shows) that our voices matter.”
The disclosure of the Navy’s recommendation, which was first reported by the New York Times, came just hours after the Pentagon announced that at least 18 sailors aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer – the Kidd – had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
It was another blow to the military as it faces fallout over its handling of the Roosevelt, raising additional questions about whether the revamped safeguards in place to protect U.S. troops are sufficient.
The crisis being triggered by the coronavirus is the biggest facing Navy leadership since two crashes in the Asia Pacific region in 2017 that killed 17 sailors.
Those incidents raised questions about Navy training and the pace of operations, prompting a congressional hearing and the removal of a number of officers. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis)
The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) celebrated its 75th anniversary on Tuesday, marking three-quarters of a century as the premier maritime logistics provider for the Department of Defense. Since...
By James Mackenzie and Maya Gebeily JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, drawing vows...
(Bloomberg) — An explosive-laden drone boat slammed into an oil tanker as it sailed past the coast of Yemen, a sign Israeli airstrikes haven’t deterred the country’s Houthi militants from...
19 hours ago
Total Views: 2071
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.